Cigar enveloping



July 13, 1943. A, NEUMAIR 2,324,017

CIGAR ENVELOPING Filed March 25, 1939 2 She-efs-Sheet 1 [1w fiyz r F I 00 imvcntor Gttomeg July 13, 1943. J. A. NEUMAIR ,0

0 IGAR ENVELOPI NG Filed March 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Samentor JOSEPHA.NEUMA|R (Ittorneg Patented July 13, 1943 2,324,017

CIGAR ENVELOPING Joseph A. Neumair, Hollis, N. Y., assignor toInternational Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New JerseyOriginal application June 8, 1937. Serial No. l47,003.- Divided and thisapplication March 25, 1939, Serial No. 264,075

3 Claims.

"This invention relates to cigar packages, especially to the provisionof cigars 'with individual wrappers, and more particularly to theprovision of a cigar with a readily detachable envelope or sealedwrapper made of a bright material such as a polished metal foil backedwith a cellulosic fabric coated with an elastic lacquer.

The use of metal foil wrappers backed with glassine paper coated with athermoplastic material such as a suitable lacquer is known, and a cigarwith a polished metal foil envelope constitutes an attractive packageand a desirable marketable article, but such use is subject to certaindisadvantages which have interfered with satisfying the present demandfor a cigar thus packaged.

Among these disadvantages is the inconvenient necessity for tearing themetal foil, which is an operation difficult to initiate if the envelopebe adequately sealed in order to preserve the cigar in fresh smokablecondition, with its aroma unimpaired and its proper moisture contentpreserved.

Under these conditions, an object of the present invention is toprovide, as a new article of manufacture, a cigar enfolded transverselyby a readily detachable wrapper having a metal foil wrapping componentformed with a lengthwise heat-sealed seam.

A cognate object is to provide such a metal foil wrapper in which thecontinuity of the edge of the metal foil component is interrupted toprovide a tongue or like salient portion which may be readily pulled,thereby developing a tear along one or more lines, effective to rupturethe wrapper suitably to accomplish the destruction of the wrapper, andto permit its complete removal by slipping it from the cigar, leavingthe latter intact.

Another object is to provide a metal-foil wrapped cigar having aheat-sealed longitudinal seam concealed completely by the terminal freelengthwise edge of the polished foil wrapper, which accordingly presentsa bright highly polished metallic finish throughout its superficies.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as thedescription of the particular physical embodiment of the inventionselected for disclosure herein progresses.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this I specification,and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or likeparts:

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view of 8. diagrammatic character,illustrating astep in the method of providing a cigar with a wrapper inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a further step in carrying outsaid method;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detail view in sectional perspective,illustrating a cigar with a wrapper provided with a longitudinal seamhaving a lengthwise slit and transverse nicks, formed prior to foldingthe seam against the cigar;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, detail view similar to Fig. 3, in which therelative disposition of the transverse nick and lengthwise slit issomewhat modified;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective, illustrating theinitial step or opening the package;

Fig. 6 is a full view in perspective of the completed package ready forthe market;

Fig. 7 is a similar view illustrating the package with a medial part ofthe wrapper torn away by g ii'opsagation of the rupture initiated asshown in Fig. 8 illustrates in perspective a package having alongitudinal heat-sealed seam provided with a modified interruption ofthe seam to facilitate rupture, and to permit ready removal of thewrapper;

Fig. 9 is a view of the package shown in Fig. 8, illustrating the modeof initiating and continuing the rupture of the wrapper;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view in plan of a foil wrapper withtransparent windows;

Fig. 11 is a view of a schematic character illustrating various stepsincluded in the method of preparing a continuous web of wrappingmaterial for severance into individual wrappers, preliminary tofabrication of the packages, according to the present invention;

Fig, 12 is a fragmentary detail view in plan of a section of the web incourse of its preparatory treatment as illustrated in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail view of a device for scoring the web ofwrapping material longitudinally, instead of slitting it, the device ofthis view being adapted for substitution in the arrangement shown inFig. 11, where it may take the place of the elements 31 and 38.

In its broad, generic aspect, the initial step in fabrication of thearticle which constitutes an illustrative example of various productsthat may be similarly fabricated according to the present invention, isherein shown as accomplished by folding around the four sides of a cigarC a blank W of wrapping material in such a manner that the edges El andE2 of the blank meet at one corner of the cigar and project from thatcorner with their like faces facing one another, as shown in Fig. 1, itbeing understood that. for purposes,

of illustration, the wrapper blank i made of metal foil F, (see Figs. 1,3 and 4), backed with glassine paper as at P, and coated with a suitablethermoplastic lacquer, as at D. This adhesive may take the form of anywell-known lacquer on the market to-day, such for instance as a lacquercomposed of nitrocellulose with a synthetic resin added to make thecellulose thermoplastic. It may also have an ingredient of elasticmaterial, as for example, an addition of latex in suitable proportions.Preferably the foil will project slightly, as at E in Figs. 1, 3, 9,etc., so that where the free edge of the foil extends along theunderlying wrapper it will have a thickness of only the one ply of metalfoil, and thus makes an almost invisible Joint. These protruding edgesEI and E2 are pressed together and sealed by heat, and the seam soformed is then folded back upon the cigar package as shown in Fig. 2.

Provision for removal of the wrapping in a manner which will preservethe cigar intact is achieved by forming in the overlapping seam twotransverse cuts or nicks N, Figs. 3 and 4, and by forming in the inneredge El of the web, near the fold of the overlap, a longitudinal cut L,Figs. 1 and 2, extending across, Fig. 3 or between, Fig. 4, thetransverse cuts N, so that the section S of the wrapper between thetransverse cuts can be easily torn out, as shown in Fig. '1, leaving theresidual parts of the wrapper free to be slipped off the ends of thecigar. The cut L is preferably made a little distance away from thecigar, so that, when the web is folded as shown in Fig. 2, there is aportion of the sealed lap between the cigar and the cut, thus sealingthe cigar completely. The same object may also be achieved by onlyscoring instead of cutting the web longitudinally, so that there is noactual opening in the web even if the line L is made at the fold of edgeEl or between the fold and the cigar. The latter method however requirestearing of the web on the scored line L and thus makes the removal ofthe wrapper more diflicult. If desired, the cut or score-line L may evenbe omitted entirely, in which case it is necessary to first tear acrossthe edge El of the wrapper along the inner fold between the nicks N, andthen to remove the strip S by pulling the edge E2 between the nicks awayfrom the cigar as before. The transverse cuts N serve to define thewidth of the tear strip S and to start the tearing; the longitudinal cutL all but separates the sealed lap of the tear strip from the insidelayer of the wrapper and thus makes it possible to tear across the foldof the inside layer almost unobstructedly, the sealed portion of theinside layer coming away practically without any tearing.

The longer longitudinal cut, across the transverse cuts, as in Fig. 3,is preferable from the standpoint of easy removal of the wrapping,because, with the shorter cut shown in Fig. 4, the material remainingbetween the ends of the longitudinal cut and the transverse cuts must betorn in removing the nicked section and therefore offers additionalresistance.

The ends of the wrapping W, after the longitudinal seam has been sealedand nicked, are folded and sealed in the usual manner, the finishedcigar package presenting the appearance shown in Fig. 6. Upon tearingout the nicked section S, the ends W" of the wrapping are loose on thecigar C, Fig. '7, and can be readily slipped off endwise.

The improved package may be simplified by omitting the longitudinal cutand by replacing the two transverse nicks N by a single oblique nick N,as in Fig. 8. The wrapping W may then be removed by pulling up the looseflap and tearing of! a portion of the seam El, E2 in the axial directionas shown in Fig. 9. This will expose the torn edge El of the inner fold,which can then be lifted up and torn transversely, thus freeing the endsW of the wrapper as before.

If desired, a window for the inspection of the cigar may be provided bycutting openings 0 in the tinfoil web W3 at package-length intervals andby attaching a strip A of Cellophane or other suitable transparentmaterial to the back or inside of the web, as shown in Fig. 10, in whichthe wrapper also has a cigar band B printed on it.

The longitudinal cut L is made before sealing the axial seam, preferablyoutside of the folding unit of the enveloping machine, while thetransverse cuts N or the oblique cut N are most expediently made duringthe sealing period, immediately after pressing together the edges El andE2, although, in case of a short longitudinal cut Fig. 4, they may bemade before folding, outside of the sealing unit. In Fig. 11, anarrangement for cutting the longitudinal slit L into the web is shown.The web W is intermittently fed from a reel 30 over rollers 3|, 32, 33and 3l, carrying a floating roller 35 in the loop between rollers 33 and34, to take up any slack. The motion is imparted by feed rollers 36 orother known means. At the proper points, a knife blade 31 co-acting witha suitable ledger block 38, and a cut-off 39 are placed, the formerbeing actuated by a cam-operated lever l8, and the latter by acam-controlled l'ever lI'. The nicked wrapper W is shown in Fig. 12, thecut panel being put back into place, the wrapper being shown as it wouldappear if opened up after folding and nicking. Thus, at one margin, asat N", N", the web is shown as only nicked, and not slitted.

Fig. 13 illustrates a now-preferred form of device for scoringthewrapping web, this device when employed being substituted in theposition occupied by the cutting members 31 and 38, Fig. 11. A slide I3lis provided with a slot I35 in which is journaled the scoring memberI38, said slide being guided in a slideway I31 and retained in positionby a bottom plate I38. Plate I 38 is held in position by compressionsprings I39 disposed between said plate and the base of hanging bracketI40. Studs I ll supported in each of the brackets Illl at their lowerend, fit loosely into openings provided near the ends of plate I38preventing said plate from shifting in a lengthwise direction. A bracket2, adjustably mounted on a bar 3 of the machine carries the slidewayI31. The brackets I" depend from the member I31 and at their upper endscarry a cutting bar Ill equipped with adjusting screws Il5 providingfinely adjustable means for maintaining the desired clearance betweenthe scoring disk I36 and the portion Illa of bar I ll. The web W, fed inthe same manner as previously described, passes over a table I carriedby slideway I31 and under bar Ill. When the forward feeding of the webis stopped, a lever Il1 actuated by a cam, not shown, moves r the slideI3l causing member I36 to engage the portion of the web W restingagainst section Illa, thereby scoring the web. The movement of the slideis so timed that the scoring of the web is done at desired spacedintervals. When the scoring operation is completed, the slide retreats,returning member I36 to its starting position before advancement of theweb. A cross strip I48 of table I46, over which strip the web W passes,raises the same sumciently to clear member I36. The bracket I42 isprovided with elongated slot I49 permitting lateral adjustment of thedevice to care for the different widths of wrapping webs.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be understood readily thatprovision is made for avoiding substantially the inconveniencesheretofore encountered in removing heat-sealed wrappers each embodying ametal foil wrapper component from individual cigar packages, and so thisdesirably bright and attractive polished metal finish is made moreavailable, without detracting from the preservation of the cigar, intactto structure and aroma.

it is also apparent that this desirable result has been attained by thenovel method of slitting the wrapper herein pointed out; and thatimproved apparatus of both turret type and chain type has been providedto carry the aforesaid method into effect.

lit is to be understood that while I have disclosed what I believe to bethe best embodiments of the present invention now known to me,nevertheless the particular physical embodieniolded transversely by awrapper fabricated of sheet metal foil with an outstanding longitudinalheat-sealed seam constituted by contiguous matched marginal portions ofsaid wrapper having at least one stratum of heat-sensitive materialadhered to the metal faces of said margins at their mutually contiguousareas, said seam being interrupted by a plurality of transverse slitsthrough both of the edges of said seam defining between them a tongueportion so disposed as to be grasped readily and when pulled in adirection lengthwise of and across said tongue portion to rupture theadjoining wrapper structure and free it for complete removal, leavingthe cigar intact, at least one slit on each of the matching marginalportions extending inwardly across the seam and coinciding with asimilar slit on the other matching edge of the wrapper.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a cigar enfolded transversely by awrapper fabricated of sheet metal foil with a longitudinal heat-sealedseam constituted by contiguous matched marginal portions of said wrapperhaving at least one stratum of heat-sensitive material adhered to themetal faces of said margins at their mutually contiguous areas, saidseam being interrupted by a plurality of transverse slits through .bothof the edges of said seam defining between them a tongue portion sodisposed as to be grasped readily and pulled to rupture the adjoiningwrapper structure and free it for complete removal, leaving the cigarintact, in which said tongue is weakened along a line extendinglengthwise thereof for a substantial part of the distance btween saidtransverese slits in one thicknessof the wrapper only.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a cigar enfolded transversely by awrapper fabricated of sheet metal foil with a longitudinal heatsealedseam constituted by contiguous matched marginal portions of said wrapperhaving at least one stratum of heat-sensitive material adhered to themetal faces of said margins at their mutually contiguous areas, saidseam being interrupted by a plurality of transverse slits through bothof the edges of said seam defining between them a tongue portion sodisposed as to be grasped readily and pulled to rupture the adjoiningwrapper structure and free it for complete removal, leaving the cigarintact, in which said tongue is weakened along a line extendinglengthwise thereof and intersecting said slits at the root of saidtongue in one thickness of the wrapper only.

JOSEPH A. NEUMAIR.

